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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · racket · band · bass · clip · pit · lie · current

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pit — in a race
  3. clip — for paper
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. clip — a video
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — to recline
  12. band — a ring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a music group
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. net — after costs
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com